Fuel Cell Engineers
Design, evaluate, modify, or construct fuel cell components or systems for transportation, stationary, or portable applications.
- O*NET-SOC code
17-2141.01 - Preparation Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Wages
BLS doesn't publish wages for Fuel Cell Engineers separately. These are the figures for Mechanical Engineers (17-2141), its parent occupation.
Median annual wage, U.S.$104,110
Employment, U.S.296,810
Median hourly wage$50.05
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $73,990 | $84,130 | $104,110 | $132,590 | $164,340 |
By state (51)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $100,230 | ||
| Alaska | 380 | $124,340 | 0.61 |
| Arizona | 5,050 | $100,270 | 0.82 |
| Arkansas | 1,410 | $80,180 | 0.56 |
| California | 30,530 | $130,900 | 0.88 |
| Colorado | 7,190 | $124,430 | 1.31 |
| Connecticut | 4,600 | $105,090 | 1.42 |
| Delaware | 610 | $125,130 | 0.66 |
| District of Columbia | 510 | $133,300 | 0.38 |
| Florida | 10,740 | $99,980 | 0.57 |
| Georgia | 5,290 | $100,620 | 0.57 |
| Hawaii | 530 | $98,740 | 0.44 |
| Idaho | 1,070 | $93,190 | 0.65 |
| Illinois | 11,790 | $102,680 | 1.01 |
| Indiana | 8,690 | $99,590 | 1.42 |
| Iowa | 3,470 | $97,700 | 1.17 |
| Kansas | 4,630 | $86,260 | 1.69 |
| Kentucky | 4,170 | $101,050 | 1.09 |
| Louisiana | 1,890 | $119,540 | 0.51 |
| Maine | 890 | $102,430 | 0.72 |
| Maryland | 6,550 | $122,870 | 1.24 |
| Massachusetts | 7,680 | $119,300 | 1.11 |
| Michigan | 34,630 | $104,890 | 4.12 |
| Minnesota | 5,890 | $99,140 | 1.05 |
| Mississippi | 1,570 | $98,000 | 0.71 |
| Missouri | 4,870 | $99,330 | 0.87 |
| Montana | 500 | $94,190 | 0.51 |
| Nebraska | 950 | $88,060 | 0.49 |
| Nevada | 1,410 | $102,680 | 0.48 |
| New Hampshire | 2,760 | $103,660 | 2.12 |
| New Jersey | 4,180 | $112,300 | 0.51 |
| New Mexico | 2,710 | $157,710 | 1.63 |
| New York | 8,590 | $102,440 | 0.46 |
| North Carolina | 9,560 | $100,720 | 1.01 |
| North Dakota | 790 | $86,330 | 0.96 |
| Ohio | 14,390 | $99,100 | 1.36 |
| Oklahoma | 2,270 | $101,850 | 0.70 |
| Oregon | 2,920 | $103,470 | 0.78 |
| Pennsylvania | 13,550 | $97,920 | 1.17 |
| Rhode Island | 1,560 | $116,230 | 1.63 |
| South Carolina | 5,780 | $104,580 | 1.31 |
| South Dakota | 560 | $88,380 | 0.64 |
| Tennessee | 3,930 | $99,550 | 0.63 |
| Texas | 22,080 | $112,410 | 0.82 |
| Utah | 3,370 | $102,500 | 1.02 |
| Vermont | 530 | $107,330 | 0.92 |
| Virginia | 7,470 | $104,180 | 0.95 |
| Washington | 8,240 | $110,430 | 1.22 |
| West Virginia | 760 | $97,390 | 0.57 |
| Wisconsin | 7,470 | $95,870 | 1.33 |
| Wyoming | 230 | $117,750 | 0.44 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nanosystems Engineers | 5 | 0.981 |
| 2 | Materials Engineers | 4 | 0.978 |
| 3 | Photonics Engineers | 4 | 0.978 |
| 4 | Microsystems Engineers | 5 | 0.976 |
| 5 | Materials Scientists | 4 | 0.974 |
| 6 | Chemical Engineers | 4 | 0.974 |
| 7 | Mechatronics Engineers | 4 | 0.972 |
| 8 | Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | 4 | 0.972 |
| 9 | Automotive Engineers | 4 | 0.969 |
| 10 | Robotics Engineers | 4 | 0.968 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Fuel Cell Engineers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | Quality Control Analysis | 0.76 | 0.972 |
| Petroleum Engineers | Time Management | 0.87 | 0.959 |
| Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists and Technicians | Equipment Maintenance | 1.13 | 0.958 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | Operations Analysis | 0.88 | 0.951 |
| Validation Engineers | Operations Analysis | 0.88 | 0.950 |
| Commercial and Industrial Designers | Operations Analysis | 0.76 | 0.950 |
| Chemists | Science | 1.12 | 0.947 |
| Photonics Technicians | Equipment Maintenance | 0.88 | 0.941 |
| Automotive Engineering Technicians | Equipment Maintenance | 0.88 | 0.938 |
| Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar | Operations Analysis | 0.88 | 0.938 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Fuel Cell Engineers, excluding software Fuel Cell Engineers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Dassault Systemes SolidWorks | 16 of 20 | 12.7x |
| Dassault Systemes CATIA | 15 of 20 | 11.5x |
| PTC Creo Parametric | 12 of 20 | 12.9x |
| Microsoft Visual Basic | 13 of 20 | 6.2x |
| Finite element method FEM software | 7 of 20 | 29.4x |
| Microsoft Visio | 14 of 20 | 4.3x |
| ANSYS simulation software | 6 of 20 | 23.1x |
| Linux | 12 of 20 | 4.5x |
| Finite element analysis FEA software | 5 of 20 | 33.0x |
| Rapid prototyping software | 5 of 20 | 28.8x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.75 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.75 | 4.12 |
| Science | Essential skill | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.62 | 4.12 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.62 | 4.12 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 3.62 | 4.12 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 3.50 | 4.12 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.88 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.50 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.12 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 3.00 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.62 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.75 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.38 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering and Technology | 4.64 | 6.00 |
| Chemistry | 3.95 | 5.23 |
| Mathematics | 3.86 | 5.14 |
| Design | 3.86 | 4.82 |
| Physics | 3.64 | 5.27 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.48 | 4.68 |
| Mechanical | 3.45 | 4.82 |
| Production and Processing | 3.29 | 4.14 |
| English Language | 3.14 | 3.64 |
| Administration and Management | 2.82 | 3.91 |
| Education and Training | 2.32 | 3.05 |
| Administrative | 2.14 | 2.77 |
| Building and Construction | 2.14 | 2.41 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.09 | 2.27 |
| Transportation | 2.09 | 2.05 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.05 | 1.91 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.05 | 1.91 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 2.00 | 2.23 |
| Communications and Media | 1.91 | 2.00 |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.82 | 2.00 |
| Telecommunications | 1.82 | 1.45 |
| Law and Government | 1.59 | 1.18 |
| Foreign Language | 1.50 | 0.86 |
| Geography | 1.38 | 1.41 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.27 | 0.59 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.18 | not rated |
| Psychology | 1.18 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.14 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.14 | not rated |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.14 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.09 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.09 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.05 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.88 |
| Written Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.88 |
| Oral Expression | 4.00 | 4.75 |
| Written Expression | 4.00 | 4.50 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Information Ordering | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Near Vision | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.62 | 4.25 |
| Originality | 3.50 | 4.00 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.38 | 3.62 |
| Selective Attention | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Visualization | 3.25 | 3.88 |
| Number Facility | 3.25 | 3.75 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.00 | 3.62 |
| Far Vision | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Speed of Closure | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Finger Dexterity | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Memorization | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 2.75 | 3.00 |
| Control Precision | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Time Sharing | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.38 | 2.62 |
| Manual Dexterity | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Depth Perception | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.88 | 1.25 |
| Response Orientation | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 1.62 | 1.00 |
| Trunk Strength | 1.62 | 1.00 |
| Rate Control | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Reaction Time | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Extent Flexibility | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Sound Localization | 1.25 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.25 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.12 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
| Explosive Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.00 | not rated |
| Stamina | 1.00 | not rated |
| Static Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel in demand
- Microsoft Office software in demand
- Microsoft PowerPoint in demand
- Python in demand
- The MathWorks MATLAB in demand
- MathWorks Simulink in demand
- Autodesk AutoCAD hot
- C hot
- C++ hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Oracle Database hot
- ASPEN PLUS
- Ansoft Simplorer
- Ansys Fluent
- FactSage
- Failure mode and effects analysis FMEA software
- GE Energy GateCycle
- Gaussian GaussView
- Gaussian software
- IBM Cloud
- Maplesoft Maple
- Minitab
- National Instruments LabVIEW
- Statistical software
- Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
- Wind River Systems C/C++ Compiler Suite
- Wolfram Research Mathematica
Where it concentrates
BLS doesn't publish wages for Fuel Cell Engineers separately. These are the figures for Mechanical Engineers (17-2141), its parent occupation.
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, IN | 1,000 | 10.52 | $127,700 |
| Peoria, IL | 2,120 | 6.70 | $128,710 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 22,500 | 6.19 | $109,470 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 2,280 | 5.43 | $127,310 |
| Lexington Park, MD | 670 | 4.97 | $127,650 |
| Niles, MI | 550 | 4.84 | $106,320 |
| Elizabethtown, KY | 450 | 4.56 | $102,590 |
| Kokomo, IN | 300 | 4.47 | $105,410 |
| Huntsville, AL | 2,150 | 4.23 | $102,450 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | 750 | 4.21 | $109,550 |